What Friends Are For
by RarityTheUnicorn
Summary: Ty Lee is visiting the Fire Nation for a week over the summer and pays Azula a visit on a special day. Post finale.


Mai and Zuko had changed so much over the five years since the war had ended. One thing that hadn't changed was their ability to stay touching at all times. It was like they didn't notice, it was just the way the world worked. The sun rose, they held hands, the sky was blue, his hand was on her lower back, the summer was hot, she leaned into him as they sat on the couch across from me. I felt no guilt in pointing this out.

"You two are so...cuddley! Like, even more than you were when you were sixteen!"

They smiled at each other, and oddly, Mai's smile was still on her face when she spoke.

"Are we really? I can live with that."

"Seriously, something's different. Your auras are so" -I wiggled my fingers for emphasis- "shiny!"

And I meant it too. Zuko's red used to be so angry and now it was a strong, clear scarlet and Mai always had such a guarded, pasty gray around her, but now she glowed a pearly silver, like her stillettos.

"Oh, Agni!" They jumped at my shouting. "You're _pregnant_!"

I flung myself between them, wrapping one arm around each of them. Mai laughed in shock and shushed me.

"We haven't told anyone yet."

A servant walked in and bowed to us.

"Fire Lord Zuko?"

"Yes?" Zuko sat up straight to pay attention. He was always so intense, but now he looked grown-up and Fire Lord-y.

"The Governer and his wife have arrived."

"Tell them we will join them soon. Thank you."

I looked to Mai, my head tilted.

"We're spending the afternoon with my parents. Hopefully, they won't have a stroke when the find out I'm carrying _the hier_." She rolled her eyes. I kissed them both and left for my parents' house, where I was staying this week.

I changed into some loose, magenta robes that would blend in well and set off for the ferry.

The usual mix of hope and fear caused me to huff my bangs from my eyes as I pushed open the door. I scrunched my nose. Everything always smelled too clean here. I smiled at the young receptionist with the slowly pulsing green aura and wrote my name and the date on the visitors sheet. I wondered if Zuko and Mai still remembered why today was special.

"Can I help you find someone?"

"I've been here before; I know my way."

The halls were all identical,but I had the path mapped out. Finally, I saw some familiar faces. I didn't know their names and I'd never told them mine, but I liked them. They were her _attendants_ and both of their auras were strained. I wondered if that was because of their job. They opened the door and let me in.

She looked up at me, but no emotion showed in her eyes. That was the medecine, I think. I was glad she wasn't screaming to herself, like she had been when they wouldn't let me see her, but I sometimes wanted to ask the doctors to try something else. Her aura was a dull blue, without any of the control and power it had before. It was cracked and broken, like a dried up lake or a stepped on sea shell I hadn't known was on the floor.

"Hello, Azula." I softly hugged her.

"Hello." Her voice was quiet and warm on my neck.

"Do you know who I am?" I pulled her to arm's length, smiling and looking into her eyes. They were wide and brassy, no longer calculating and their shiny gold.

"Maybe. I think so."

"Good. I'm your friend. I came a few months ago. I brought flowers, remember?"

She nodded and looked at the corner table, which held the vase I had brought.

"They turned brown. The nurse took them away."

I squeezed her hand and she looked back at me.

"That's okay. I have more."

I put them in the vase and asked her to sit on the bed. I combed her hair and sang to her softly. Once all the tangles were smoothed, I wrapped and secured her hair with a pretty clip I'd spotted at the market.

I moved to the other side of her, so I was facing her. She listened to my instructions as I told her to close her eyes, look up, turn her head. I pulled a mirror out of my bag and showed her her reflection.

"See how nice you look? The lavender really brings out your eyes. Just one more thing."

I took my small, smooth lip brush and used the precision I had learned being a Kyoshi Warrior to carefully apply her signature orangey-red lipstick.

"There. You look as beautiful as always."

"Thank you." She looked down and gave a tiny, broken smile.

One of her attendants opened the door.

"Visiting hours are over."

I took her hands and surrounded them in my own.

"I have to go now, but I'll be back." I wrapped my arms around her neck and hid my tears in her shoulder. "Happy birthday, Azula."


End file.
